


Up and Coming

by sugarby



Category: Code Geass
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Canon Compliant, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2020-07-08 14:41:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19871305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarby/pseuds/sugarby
Summary: “Good. I think happiness is something you obtain through the goodness of others. Something warm and overwhelming in the heart.”“...That’s love, isn’t it?”“It’s whatever you feel it is, Suzaku.”“It’s not this youtube channel, I’ll be honest.”They’re living in the year 2019 but he still can’t quite conceive the reality of Lelouch, or Zero, for all his complex and mysterious purposes, broadcasting his ideas across the world on such a millennial stage.(Or Lelouch wants to share his uncensored opinions of his country to the world and his best friend owes him a favour anyway).





	Up and Coming

**Author's Note:**

> I've kept this weird idea for so long that I thought it'd never see the light of day, but CG is a series I'll always love and never forget, and I owe it to myself as well to not let the time I spent on this be for nothing. I wanted to sort of get out of my usual writing schtick and experiment as well, so I just hope this doesn't suck.

_'The measure of a man_  
 _is what he does with power.'_   
**_ \- Plato _ **

Suzaku has plenty of crimes to answer for, self-loathing and assisting his own father being two of them.

There's also piloting expensive military armoury, something traditionally granted to the chosen, the worthy, the _full-blooded natives_ , under the guise of it being strictly to save lives; to make a difference.

They're still valid but he's long since stopped pretending he isn't manning the screams and heavy napalm of the front lines to catapult himself in to his end.

So there's a list; a long list of wrongdoings and misguided decisions that, to be fair, a lot of his generation are expected to stumble in to but as he sits imprisoned in a cold cell with a dinky toilet and absolutely zero privacy, he can't help but laugh because this is all down to his natural enemy.

Desperate howls and his own curiosity had lead him from the sidewalk in to a garden—lovely, thriving and unmistakably Britannian—where, nestled in a handsomely tall and bulking tree, a cat impatiently beckoned.

It was no Arthur but its claws still stung like a bitch!

The little girl living in the house, a politician's daughter, had noticed and called the cat over after its safety retrival. When she went to say 'hi' her mother behind her went to notify the authorities and just like that Suzaku was hauled away. 

He was charged. On paper it would say for _trespassing_ but in reality it was for being an _eleve_ n.

He laughs again, not thoroughly enjoying the situation but amused no less and a body-shuddering chuckle thumping in his chest, his head against the stone wall knocking ever so. In the lowest and dullest and most unbelievable ways, this country really is so heartless.

It's much less hassle to accept it than to kick up a fuss, try to wake up the ignorantly blind on the tan of his complexion and accented words.

He sighs wistfully, "I wonder if _he_ 's ever been in jail."

Like _clockwork_ —

"If you're talking about me,"

It's _his_ voice because of course it is. Because it always comes at unexpected but crucial times like a cue calling, like the world's a stage and he's manoeuvring with the grace and control of a conductor.

Coincidentally, being trained in a number of classical instrumentals as a child ultimately means he knows how to pull strings quite familiarly and play a tune he finds befitting. 

"I always ensure an escape route beforehand."

Suzaku exhales out his nose and smiles.

Trouble is said to arrive in threes but Suzaku knows it to punctually arrives with the soft clicking of school shoes in a breezed strut.

Dark hair sworn to be brushed but always a loose visor across boysenberry eyes. Trouble as Suzaku remembers it has rarely been far from this unique presence; of a heavy storm quietly rolling in and sweeping lights underneath without so much as a whistle of wind.

It used to be childish heists and sister teasings at twelve. Ten at the peak of their youth, running around, being young wild and free—being boys, best friends, soulmates on an above basic level that no amount of words locked in his precarious mind could ever articulate.

Silly Suzaku, for thinking that would change because they're older.

Something buzzes then clicks and gets the cell gate to slide across.

Suzaku stands up from the bench, legs slightly off balance because it's been a couple hours. He walks to where the cell gates had been, the front of his scuffed combat boots kissing the dented line from the weight of the iron bars.

"Thought you liked a challenge. Taking risks."

"Only you would get yourself into trouble for a _cat_." He emphasises with pretend irritation, his soft features giving away his fondness in knowing such a kind nature resides in _his_ best friend.

"There are worse things I could've been arrested for but, you know, thought I'd play it safe for now."

"A number of things that would've raised less questions, I'm sure."

"Well I'm robbing a bank tomorrow, so."

There's the sigh of exhaustion like a parent and Suzaku can't fight it anymore; the pleasure and comfort in having an old friend so close brings out a big smile.

"Good to see you, Lelouch."

"I figured." Lelouch steps away from the open cell, gestures to the entrance area and walking to it. "Your bail's been paid."

The officer that was on duty is gone, giving Lelouch more than enough motive to not bother with signing out in the registry on the desk. He goes the way he comes: as he pleases and swiftly.

Suzaku follows at a hesitant pace, peeking over the desk where it's as though the officer has just vanished. He left half a donut and tepid cup of coffee in his absence, along with white noise playing from a small radio.

"You couldn't have told him who you really are." His eyes bulge, "You didn't— _no_ , did you g _eass_ them?!"

"That would've been simpler but no." Because _someone_ would've kicked up a mighty fuss about it, "I posed as the son of a Noble and the Officer didn't think twice before going to the restroom."

"As any decent officer guarding a _trespasser_ would."

Like a silhouette, his always in-step second, the other person rarely far from trouble steps out from behind Lelouch, her body in a provocative, white one-piece and long, pasture-green hair down like a cape.

It's a wonder how the officer and outside guards didn't find her suspicious enough to apprehend, the way she just appears and moves like she does.

"Hello, Suzaku, how are you fe _line_ today?"

Suzaku blinks. _Did she just...?_

" _C.C._ "

"It's a _joke_ , Lelouch." 

“A _poor_ one.” Lelouch concludes and they're back to being an item in no time, walking together in sync out the doors.

Suzaku hurries to follow behind their partnered lead; he's dizzier now than when he was first escorted in, "How'd you even know I was here, that I was arrested?"

"One can find out many things with the right tools at their disposal."

C.C. leans out backwards, “The internet."  
  
“Right. Well, thanks. Guess I owe you again.”

“I’m glad you brought that up," Lelouch thinks that if their entire friendship can be summarised, it'll be a pile up of debts being owed and repaid to the other, "Because I need your help.”

"With...what exactly?" Suzaku asks because what was it people said? Don't make a deal with the devil?

C.C. asks, “Lelouch, are you sure about this?”

“It has to be him.”

Suzaku stops, obligating them to do the same, “What’s going on?”

C.C. replies, “I’d say ‘wait and see’ but, as usual, he’s going to spoil the fun and tell you. He needs you, Suzaku.”

“For what?”

Anyone who’s ever done a favor for Lelouch has gotten into some pretty questionable, and risky, stuff. It’s never quite so simple.

Lelouch says, “My up and coming youtube channel needs a decent cameraman.”

* * *

There are plenty of things funny about Lelouch but he is _no comedian_.

He, apparently, is completely sincere with his request that his best friend—the only person he trusts one hundred percent in this world—be his cameraman for his youtube channel that does in fact exist.

(It really does, Suzaku searched for it with help and scrolled down a feed intuitive thumbnails and rhetorical questions for titles).

Course, it's not like Lelouch to do anything basic, he goes above and beyond even with what little he has to work with.

Suzaku stands at one end of the open garage tethered to Lelouch's home-space, turned in to a makeshift studio and so far only has the necessities: a simple sky backdrop with a chair in front, a desk with a computer on it for editing, lighting and a camera.

It's been mentioned once or twice that all anyone really needs to get going on the number one streaming site is a decent camera phone to be honest.

Course, trust Lelouch to go above and beyond, even with what little he really knows about being a youtuber.

 _Nah_ , Suzaku grimaces, _still tastes weird on the tongue to say_.

"Since when have you been in to all this? You're kinda camera shy."

Suzaku remembers how he always fidgeted and couldn't hold a gaze when it came to being interviewed at school by female predominant clubs. Then again, maybe it was because they were overly excited.

Some of them took candid photos of him sleeping a lot of the time too, so there was also the lack of space.

The likeliness of not feeling safe in a place he should.

"Zero has appeared on TV many times."

" _You_ , Lelouch."

"I don't mind that much if I'm talking."

"Okay well I don't know about this." Suzaku gestures to the camera he's holding.

It's a model too fancy in name, price and aesthetic for him to hold. He can feel his skin burning already, skin peeling away and shaming him inch by inch. He thinks of dropping it. Of scratching his skin. Of inhaling nothing but clogged sand where there should be air—

"Suzaku, _relax_." Lelouch commands.

C.C. says, "It's very simple." and saunters over to stand behind, head unnaturally close to his as she points while she explains, "This button here turns it on. This is the lens. This is the timer. This is the microphone. This is—"

Suzaku shakes his head wildly, "Okay, I got it!" He hasn't got anything. "What's the point of this anyway?"

"To send a message across the nation." Says Lelouch like he's rehearsed it, "The world."

"E-mail was invented for this very reason."

"I'm going to reach out to society and tell the world my uncensored opinion on controversial topics."

"So start a blog."

"I'm not an overly-expressive fan in a cult following, Suzaku. I need the right, sophisticated outlet."

"And that's _youtube_?"

The streaming site with more than enough sneezing animal clips, pranks gone wrong and hours of hot knives melting things just because they can?

Unless, Suzaku reconsiders, Lelouch hasn't been lead that far down the rabbit hole just yetl. Lucky him.

* * *

_ 'Knowledge becomes evil _   
_ if the aim be not virtuous.' _   
_ \- **Plato** _

Suzaku's a week in to his cameraman duties and concludes the whole experience is quite underwhelming. Given who he's working for, the sort of feats he's capable of, he anticipated an extreme grandeur rather than the simple point and shoot and the odd retake because of bad focus or lighting.

It's still better than what he could be doing, he reminds himself; a lot better than the prison cell.

Still, there comes a day when Lelouch surprises him by reverting to his familiar, harsh, judgemental self. The side of him with the drive to go out and cause an uproar if it means making a big mark in history (this side was also present in kindergarten during the 'cookie march' when he organised a protest against the revoking of snacks at recess).  
  
Lelouch speaks to the camera from his foldable chair in the middle of the garage space, "You may or may not be privy to this but my sister, the world's darling figure-head, Euphemia, has been tasked with selecting a personal guard. Her knight. And while it's entirely her decision, I do have my concerns regarding her inexperience and ignorance where politics are concerned."

Suzaku gapes behind the camera, "That's a bit harsh."

"The truth can be sometimes."

"But she's your sister!"

"Half sister."

"So would you love Nunnally any less if it were her?!"

"You're leading the topic astray."

"I don't think you should just _expose_ this, it's _sensitive_ information!" 

"It's not like I'm _attacking_ her. If anything, it's quite brave of her to defy our father just to please the nation and ensure she keeps her place on a high pedestal."

Suzaku's arm holding the camera drops, "Euphy's not like that at all! What's wrong with you?!"

"I'm expressing my opinions on issues I deem worthy, as this channel was intended for."

Suzaku's speechless for a moment.

Okay, sure, he's not as clued up on the channel or as dedicated to running it as Lelouch and C.C. are but he still thought this was about more than shaming family. Especially Euphy—kind, brilliant, beautiful Euphy who's only ever loved or been hurt but never wanted to hurt someone else.

C.C. says from her workspace at the desk in the corner across the room, "I think it'll be effective to zoom in...here."

She clicks around, editing software running in the background as she works on the video filmed prior to be uploaded tonight on on schedule. She closes in on the frame paused on Lelouch mid eye roll.

"You do that a lot," Suzaku says with a sour side-glance to his best friend. "Especially to me."

Lelouch nearly does it again, irked that a common habit is being depicted as villainous. "I wouldn't feel inclined to if you didn't constantly interrupt filming for ridiculous reasons."

"You should fire me then if I'm so difficult to be around, _jackass_."

“I like challenges."

"I'm not paid enough for your crap."

"I'm afraid C.C. has seniority in that regard, given the good job she does of hiding your amateur camera work."

"I really want to slap you. Think it'll reacquaint you with manners? I mean, Princes learn that that, don't they? Along with sticking up their noses just before they get _exiled_!"

"You need to learn to take constructive criticism."

"Seriously, Lelouch, I don't wanna fight!"

"Because you'd likely lose?" is Lelouch's retort, assuming the progression of their fight will remain strictly verbal, words being his forte—his might sword that swings fast and sharp and never fails him.

"I think my first cracking your jaw's gonna hurt a hell of a lot more than your words. Look, if you're gonna keep saying and doing whatever you want just because you can then this _favour_ for you will be much harder. It's _already hard_ for me!"

No one asks C.C. but she says, "I've heard that boys are mean to each other because they're too shy to confess how they really feel and here you both are."

Lelouch's eyes roll, "Knock it off, C.C. Creative differences are nothing to provocatively inflate."

"Is that what you're calling putting your friend to labor and then giving him put-downs?"

"This is nothing to do with you."

C.C. smiles wickedly and there's suddenly a clip of audio playing from the computer speakers:

> _ "Lelouch, I give up—you're—doing all sorts—of things to me—this—for you—will be much harder. It's aready hard for me!"_

C.C. smirks, "Lelouch, Suzaku, your subscribers and I thank you."

Lelouch dives over to her corner, yanking out cables he hopes are connected to the speakers, “ _You’re not_ being paid to make a mockery of—”

“I’m trying to clear the air between you two.” C.C. laughs, watching him muster up all his strength just to yank out the wrong cables. "Besides, you’ve gathered enough attention by yourselves. You should appeal to the masses, Lelouch. In fact, I'd say it's necessary."

"I'm not trying to win a popularity contest here!" he stresses as he throws down the cables in his hands, giving up on trying to stop the insatiable editor. 

"You can say that again. What do you think of wearing your disguise as Zero?"

"That's cowardly."

"Or is it smart and cautious?" Suzaku adds, "Two of your best qualities, last I checked." 

He'd watched their back and forth and felt ridiculous for the way he'd argued with Lelouch, so he was passing out an olive branch. A path for them to reconcile because they've come back from worse.

Lelouch mercifully meets him halfway with a soft smile, "You have qualities of your own, Suzaku. You’re considerate, and loyal.”

“So he’s a dog.” C.C. says.

“Finish editing tonight’s video already.”

Suzaku slightly reddens at the implication, “Thanks, but, I’m also kind of a pushover when it comes to actually making a difference. I say a lot of things and then never do anything.”

“You're just too kind and tend to be naive But I don't find either of those qualities necessarily bad. Trust me, you're fine as you are, Suzaku. I’m happy to call you a friend."

"Happiness. What is that exactly?”

"Nothing’s ever simple with you, is it?”

“Duh. I can’t compete with you otherwise.”

Lelouch shakes his head in fondness, “As I recall, _you_ said it was _glass_.”

And because it sounds too metaphorical for the likes of Suzaku to use is why it might seem unfathomable that he said that; Lelouch's memory has never been short of impeccable though.

“I should’ve expected you to remember that.”

“It’s one of the very few precious memories I have. Is it okay that I cherish it?”

“You don’t need to ask me that.”

“Good. I think happiness is something you obtain through the goodness of others. Something warm and overwhelming in the heart.”

“...That’s love, isn’t it?”

“It’s whatever you feel it is, Suzaku.”

“It’s not this youtube channel, I’ll be honest.”

They’re living in the year 2019 but he still can’t quite conceive the reality of Lelouch, or _Zero_ , for all his complex and mysterious purposes, broadcasting his ideas across the world on such a millennial stage

Youtube isn’t going to know what hit it, and it’s not going to be the same anymore.

“I’m not expecting to be the number one channel but it’s a platform no less. Eventually I’ll have gained a number of followers and rallied together enough people to deny this country’s racial propaganda once and for all.”

Suzaku chuckles, "It sounds like you're plotting world domination."

Lelouch's smile leaves little to be misconceived, "There’s nothing we can’t do together, right?” 

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't tell you where this idea came from, it's bizarre, but I think I was going for Lelouch having a youtube channel on the side to rant as himself. I'm not sweating the tiny stuff so you shouldn't either (°∀°)b


End file.
